Europe’s May heatwave driven by North African air and persistent drought

A high-pressure system carrying warm air from North Africa has fueled record-breaking May temperatures across Europe, with meteorologists warning the heat is intensifying due to drought and climate change.

Swedish public broadcaster SVT reports the so-called “heat dome” effect has trapped warm air near the ground, preventing it from dispersing. “When warmth persists not just at surface level but higher in the atmosphere, the heated air struggles to rise and escape—it remains trapped,” said SVT meteorologist Nils Holmqvist. Cloud formation is also suppressed, allowing unfiltered sunlight to further raise temperatures day by day.

Erik Kjellström, a climatologist at Sweden’s Meteorological and Hydrological Institute (SMHI), linked the extreme heat to the high-pressure system, prolonged drought, and ongoing global climate change in an SVT broadcast addressing public questions.